Portuguese Phrase
Você recebeu isso por e‑mail.
Meaning
The sentence tells the listener that they have already gotten a particular item (usually a document, message, or attachment) through electronic mail. It emphasizes the completed action of receiving.
When to use
Use this phrase after confirming that a colleague, client, or friend has opened an attachment you sent, or when you want to remind someone that the information is already in their inbox.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Vocêrecebeuissopore‑mail.
Você (pronoun)
Second‑person singular subject pronoun, commonly used in Brazil for informal address.
recebeu (pretérito perfeito)
Past‑simple form of the verb receber; indicates a completed action in the past.
isso (demonstrative pronoun)
Points to something that has just been mentioned or is visible to both speakers.
por (preposition)
Used to indicate the means or instrument by which something happens – here, ‘by email’.
e‑mail (borrowed noun)
A loanword from English; written with a hyphen in formal Portuguese, though “email” is also accepted.
🗨In Conversation
Você recebeu isso por e‑mail?
Did you receive this by email?
Sim, já recebi. Obrigado!
Yes, I’ve already received it. Thanks!
✕Common Mistakes
Você recebe isso por e‑mail.
‘Recebe’ is present tense; the sentence refers to a completed action, so pretérito perfeito ‘recebeu’ is required.
Você recebeu isso por o e‑mail.
The preposition ‘por’ already includes the article; adding ‘o’ creates a redundancy.
Você recebeu isso por email.
In formal writing the hyphen is preferred: ‘e‑mail’. ‘Email’ is acceptable only in casual contexts.
↔Alternatives
Você recebeu isso por correio eletrônico.
You received this by electronic mail.
Você recebeu isso via e‑mail.
You received this via email.
Você recebeu isso por mensagem de e‑mail.
You received this by email message.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, ‘e‑mail’ is the standard written form in formal texts, but many people write ‘email’ in informal messages and on smartphones. ‘Você’ is informal but widely accepted in business contexts, especially in the South and Southeast. If you need a more formal tone, replace ‘você’ with ‘o senhor / a senhora’ or use the passive construction ‘Foi enviado por e‑mail.’